It may not even be mid-November yet, but Christmas has come early this year for Studio Ghibli fans. Following the BAFTA, Oscar, and Golden Globe win
It may not even be mid-November yet, but Christmas has come early this year for Studio Ghibli fans. Following the BAFTA, Oscar, and Golden Globe winning success of the legendary Japanese animation outfit’s The Boy And The Heron earlier in 2024, Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbour Totoro made a triumphant return to cinemas in the UK and Ireland this summer, sparking calls for more of the studio’s back catalogue to make a multiplex comeback. Well, whaddaya know! It looks like the Elysian Film Group and Anonymous Content have been listening to those calls, because they’ve announced that they’re teaming up once again to bring Miyazaki’s 2001 masterpiece Spirited Away back to the gigantic screen this Christmas with a re-release in cinemas all across the UK and Ireland. And there’s even a lovely novel quad poster coming with it — check it out below:
As the first non-Western movie to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, Spirited Away has proven a gateway into the world of Japanese animation for a whole generation over the past two decades, and remains to this day the third highest-grossing Japanese film ever made. Taking cues from the likes of Alice In Wonderland and The Wizard Of Oz whilst being shot through with a distinctly Eastern folkloric and mythological sensibility, Miyazaki’s eighth feature follows Chihiro, a youthful girl who embarks on an Odyssean journey through a labyrinthine, supernatural spa, meeting its eclectic society of spirits on a wondrous journey to free her family — who may or may not have been turned into pigs. If you’ve never seen Spirited Away before, the chance to see it on the biggest screen possible — subbed or dubbed, per your preference — is not to be missed. And if you’ve seen the film before, then you’ll already know that a return to Yubaba’s mystical bath house is non-negotiable.
You can also check out a novel trailer for the re-release of Spirited Away just below:
And as if the prospect of seeing one of the best anime movies ever made back in cinemas wasn’t enough good news for Ghibli connoisseurs, then the announcement of Spirited Away‘s big-screen comeback also brings with it confirmation that another major Miyazaki masterpiece, Howl’s Moving Castle, is on its way back to theatres too. So, you can catch Spirited Away in British and Irish cinemas from Boxing Day to coax you out of your post-Christmas roast coma, and then look forward to chowing down on some chocolate-based eggs when Howl’s Moving Castle arrives at your local picturehouse (and indeed Picturehouse) this coming Easter. Anime-zing news!
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